


storge

by blackkat



Series: reverse [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Family, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 08:25:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13923210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat
Summary: “They actually let you in the gate? That’s exciting,” Kakashi drawls, looking up from his book.Sakumo doesn’t allow himself to wince. “Certainly surprising,” he agrees wryly, and accepts the menu Kakashi nudges across the table towards him. “Though as far as that goes, I was more expecting Kushina to be waiting in the street to punch me.”





	storge

_[storge / ˈ stɔːɡɪ / also called familial love; the Greek word for natural affection, such as the love of a parent towards offspring, and vice versa. From Greek στοργή, storgē.]_

 

“They actually let you in the gate? That’s exciting,” Kakashi drawls, looking up from his book.

Sakumo doesn’t allow himself to wince, just takes a seat across from his son at a tea shop table that’s open to the street. “Certainly surprising,” he agrees wryly, and accepts the menu Kakashi nudges across the table towards him. “Though as far as that goes, I was more expecting Kushina to be waiting in the street to punch me.”

That makes Kakashi grimace, pressing a hand to his cheek like he’s remembering precisely how that feels. “Count yourself luck that she wasn’t.”

Sakumo does, largely because he knows he would have deserved it. He did leave without warning, and the fact that Kakashi was an adult and self-sufficient, uneasy around him, didn’t change anything. When Sakumo's summons returned with a reply to his message, he’d already counted it a miracle.

“At least you were willing to meet me,” he says lightly, because he knows his son. Kakashi’s always avoided emotions whenever possible. “And not even a punch. You're too good to an old man.”

Kakashi snorts, though there's a faint crinkle at the corner of his eye. “I have a new outlet for releasing frustration,” he says airily. “It’s very satisfying.” And then, before Sakumo can ask what he means, “You didn’t end up strapped to a lab table. That’s good.”

For a moment Sakumo debates telling him that _he_ certainly wasn’t the one tied down the other night, but—that’s still too new. Orochimaru is wary and sharp-edged and full of broken pieces, and for all that he’s beautiful and touched with a strange sort of understanding of the darkness that Sakumo hasn’t found elsewhere, it’s just…physical. Mostly. For now, at least.

But Kakashi doesn’t need to hear that, so Sakumo just smiles. “Orochimaru has a whole host of children in his base. I've been teaching them what I can. It’s almost like a village, just…much rougher. But I think we’ll get there.”

Kakashi simply looks at him for a very long moment, then smiles. “You always liked teaching,” he says, like he’d forgotten that. It’s been long enough that Sakumo supposes he probably did—it’s jarring to think that Sakumo was dead for almost fifteen years, though looking at Kakashi is enough to remind him. Kakashi isn’t a child anymore, grew into a strong man without Sakumo. A good man, brave and loyal, and Sakumo is so unspeakably proud of him for it.

“I did,” Sakumo agrees, smiling back, and—

“Dog man!”

“Kaka-nii!”

Two small shapes careen into the back of Kakashi’s chair, and one flips over it to land in his lap, while the other slams into the back of his head and almost knocks him face-first into the table. Kakashi makes a startled sound, but manages to catch himself just in time.

“Fū,” he wheezes, the wind clearly knocked out of him. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching Karin?”

The green-haired jinchuuriki girl makes a rude noise. “She went off with Tenten,” she says, and pulls the white shape off of Kakashi’s head. “Look who I found! Fuji came back from Mount Inari!”

“So I see,” Kakashi says dryly. “Hi, Fuji.”

The three-tailed white fox chitters a laugh. “Hi, dog man!” she returns cheerfully, and Sakumo has to muffle a laugh as Kakashi rolls his eye. “Is Kurama-sama around? He said he’d buy me inarizushi next time I was here!”

“We’re going to go find Yugito so she can have some too!” Fū puts in cheerfully. Sakumo remembers how much children eat, and he’s willing to bet jinchuuriki children eat even more than regular shinobi kids; he hopes Kurama has a deep wallet.

“Then why are you harassing _me_?” Kakashi asks blandly, making delicate shooing motions at the girl on his lap.

With a laugh, Fū slithers off his knees, boosting Fuji up onto her shoulders. “We thought you’d know where Kurama-nii disappeared to. And Yugito too!”

“Why would _I_ know,” Kakashi says, and it’s almost a protest but not quite. Waving one hand, he sighs and says, “Kurama was planning to spar with Genma. He’s usually in Training Ground 9.”

Fū leans in and presses a loud kiss to Kakashi’s bare cheek. “Thanks, Kaka-nii!” she says brightly, leaps their table with a showy flip, and disappears down the street at a run.

As if nothing has happened at all, Kakashi passes the menus to their waitress and gives her their order. Sakumo doesn’t really pay attention, occupied with watching his son closely. Kakashi’s never been fond of titles or honorifics attached to his name, but he didn’t seem to care about that one at all, and it’s…interesting. Maybe the revelation that Kabuto is his half-brother changed something, but Sakumo doesn’t think that was it, really.

“They’re settling in, then?” he asks, careful to keep his voice perfectly mild.

Kakashi hums, noncommittal, but his eyes slide past Sakumo, and he raises a hand in a lazy wave. A little surprised, Sakumo turns, only to find Yugito bearing down on them, dripping wet and looking irritated. Kakashi looks her over, too, one brow rising, and then asks, “Everything okay?”

“I,” Yugito says, entirely disgruntled, “am going to _disembowel_ Shisui.”

“Good luck. Hide the body well,” Kakashi tells her. “Fū and Fuji were just looking for you. Something about inarizushi.”

Instantly, Yugito brightens. “Sushi?” she asks. “Where were they going?”

“To find Kurama. Training Ground 9,” Kakashi says, and she waves and trots away, long braid swaying behind her. Kakashi watches her go, then hums softly.

“Kurama’s going to kill my entire team,” he laments, though Sakumo can see his smile. “I'm going to have to train a whole new batch of recruits.”

Sakumo chuckles, taking the tray of small cakes from the waitress. Kakashi takes the tea, and Sakumo watches him pour it for both of them, then accepts the cup and breathes in the scent of jasmine with a pleased hum. “They _are_ settling in, then.” It seems like a safe enough assumption, if Kurama is actually letting the jinchuuriki wander around on their own.

“It’s been a year,” Kakashi points out. And…it has, Sakumo thinks. Kakashi looks far more relaxed than he did the last time Sakumo saw him, and even if their letters back and forth hinted at a slow easing of Kakashi’s tension, it’s nice to see proof of it.

“A productive year,” Sakumo murmurs, and a flash of motion behind Kakashi makes him smile. “Duck.”

Kakashi doesn’t even question it; he ducks, and the silver fox soars right over his head, coming in for a landing next to their table. There are children on his back, of course, and at this point Sakumo can't bring himself to feel even a flicker of surprise. He’s starting to notice a distinct patter here.

“We’re looking for Fuji-nee,” the little redheaded girl declares, and her friend, the same age and brown-haired, giggles. She’s carrying a lot of weaponry for an eight-year-old, and Sakumo suspects Kushina's hand in this.

“Playing horse?” Kakashi asks the fox, who huffs and rolls his eyes.

“My sister sneaked out again,” he says disgustedly. “And the elders put _me_ in charge of keeping an eye on her. I'm not about to let her wander around on her own.”

Kakashi hums, but points down the street. “You should be with Fū,” he tells Karin.

“She’s with me, so it’s fine, isn’t it?” the girl with the buns asks cheerfully, but before Kakashi can answer Momiji takes off with a flicker of foxfire, leaping out the open side of the building and soaring up above the rooftops.

“We probably should have picked somewhere indoors,” Kakashi muses, though he also doesn’t suggest that they leave. Takes a cake instead, carefully scraping a bit of frosting off to taste it. When it proves to be sufficiently unsweet, he cuts into it and pops a piece into his mouth. Sakumo obligingly blocks whatever view the other customers might have of his son’s face, because the game’s been going on this long, and he’s hardly one to spoil it now.

“A few interruptions aren’t going to hurt us,” he offers, because he certainly doesn’t _mind_ seeing the children. He didn’t have much chance to interact with them, the last time he was in Konoha, but honestly that was probably for the best.

As if he can read that thought, Kakashi takes a sip of his tea, and says in an offhand tone, “You look better.”

Sakumo smiles wryly. With a bit of distance it’s easy to understand how bad a state he was in, the first time he returned. Konoha pushed him to suicide once, desperate to redeem himself, to make sure Kakashi wouldn’t grow up under the stigma of his failure. Coming back to it, as if no time at all had passed—well. It’s probably not surprising that he ran the moment the opportunity presented itself.

“I feel better,” he admits. “Oto is…not Konoha. But maybe it can be a village, with a bit of work.”

“Kakashi!”

Kakashi sighs, but he looks up anyway, eye crinkling a little at the sight of the teenagers approaching. “Iruka, do you let him drag you around like that in the bedroom, too?”

The boy with the ponytail flushes crimson, but the Kiri jinchuuriki just rolls his eyes, not relinquishing his grip on Iruka's hand. “Hatake,” he says politely to Sakumo, who nods in return, and then, “Kakashi, did Karin pass this way? Fū promised to watch her, but she’s _not_.”

“I noticed,” Kakashi says dryly. “Karin is with Momiji, though. He’ll keep her out of trouble. They went to look for Fuji, who’s looking for Kurama.”

Utakata trades glances with Iruka, then bites his lip. “I think she’ll be fine?” he ventures hesitantly.

“Finish your date,” Kakashi tells him. “You're a teenager. Go do stupid ill-advised things. Karin will survive.”

“I've already helped overthrow a Kage,” Utakata retorts. “How much more ill-advised should I try for?”

“That should be _more_ than enough,” Iruka tells him, a little exasperated, but he tugs gently on Utakata's hand, ears flushed red. “I think a five-hundred-year-old fox is plenty of supervision.”

“All right.” Casting a distracted smile at Kakashi, Utakata allows himself to be pulled away, the two of them turning off the main street and down an ally to vanish from sight.

Very deliberately, Kakashi casts a glance up and down the road. “There cannot be _that_ many people coming to interrupt our lunch,” he says, a little disbelieving.

Sakumo laughs, leaning back in his seat, and very carefully doesn’t look at the flash of red in the street behind his son. “Surely not,” he says, and doesn’t even try to keep his face straight. Kakashi gives him a wary look, and half an instant later there's a war cry and a small blond shape hurtles into Kakashi’s chair, almost knocking it over. A curl of sand rights it, and Gaara trots over while Kakashi is busy peeling Naruto off the side of his face. There are two unfamiliar children behind him, one most definitely an Uchiha, the other a pink-haired girl who’s trying to contain her giggles.

“Hello,” Sakumo tells them cheerfully. “I see you're giving my son a hard time.”

“Kurama-nii says it builds character,” Gaara tells him solemnly, and Sakumo is startled into laughter.

“That’s because it does,” a new voice says, and Kurama leans over their table from the street side, stripped down to his fishnet tank top with his hair still wet. “Kit, let him breathe.”

“Okay, Kurama-nii!” Naruto says cheerfully, scrambling down from Kakashi’s lap. “Kaka-nii, Kaka-nii! We trained with Sai and Shin and Genma!”

Wheezing out a breath, because apparently Naruto was not quite as careful with his feet as he should have been, Kakashi gets out, “Good for you.”

Kurama rolls his eyes. “You're not _that_ hurt, bastard,” he huffs, reaching out to catch a handful of Kakashi’s hair. Feeling his brows rise, Sakumo watches the man lean in, tugging Kakashi’s mask down just enough to get to his mouth behind the cover of red hair. The kiss is quick and anything but chaste, and when Kurama pulls back he’s grinning, lazy and warm.

“Sure I am,” Kakashi says, and that tone is purposefully pitiful. “Aren’t you going to kiss it better, Kurama?”

Kurama growls, clicking long, pointed nails against the tabletop. “You're pushing your luck so far it’s about to snap,” he warns, but there's mirth in his red eyes to match what Sakumo can read in Kakashi’s face. Waving an absent hand at Sakumo, he kisses Kakashi again, then pulls back, letting Kakashi tug his mask back into place. “We’re going to the sushi place. Come find us when you're done here.”

“All right,” Kakashi says, one hand sweeping down over Kurama’s bare shoulder. Their fingers slide through each other, and then Kurama pulls away, scooping Naruto up and heaving him up onto his shoulder as the other three crowd around his legs. Kakashi smiles, small and warm and infinitely fond, and calls after them, “Fū is looking for you.”

“Fuji and Momiji will find me,” Kurama calls back, and Sakumo looks away from the way Kakashi’s eyes linger on Kurama’s retreating form. Smiling to himself, he picks up his tea and takes another sip, debating his next words.

“I think,” he finally says, “that I should be _very_ offended, Kakashi.”

Kakashi blinks, that besotted smile disappearing, and raises a faintly warning brow at Sakumo in silence.

Sakumo grins. “You couldn’t even be bothered to tell me that I was a grandfather?” he demands, and has the distinct pleasure of watching Kakashi blanch paper-white with horror.

“I'm not a _father_ ,” he protests, more loudly than Sakumo has heard from him in a very long time.

Sakumo lets his expression speak for him.

Sinking down in his seat, Kakashi pouts. “I'm _not_ ,” he insists.

“Kaka-nii!” Fū shouts, careening down the street with Fuji, now the size of a pony, at her heels. “Did Kurama-nii come this way?”

Staring at Sakumo with a wariness that says he feels cornered, Kakashi points down the street.

“Thanks!” Fū skids to a stop next to the table, kisses Kakashi on the cheek, and says, “Oh! Yugito and I got your favorite eggplant this morning! And we decided we want to pick out swords tomorrow! Can you still come with us to help us find good ones?”

“Of course,” Kakashi says, with the voice of a man who knows he’s signing his own assassination orders, and it takes all of Sakumo's self-control not to laugh. “You’d better hurry if you want to catch up with Kurama, sweetheart.”

“I'm going!” Fū beams at Sakumo, ducks away, and catches a handful of Fuji’s fur, swinging onto her back with a cheer. “Let’s run, Fuji!”

“Sure!” Fuji agrees, and in a surge of white fur and green hair they’re gone.

The silence lingers pointedly, and Sakumo lifts one brow.

“ _Don’t_ ,” Kakashi warns, and Sakumo gives in and starts chuckling.


End file.
